MA/MPhil Studentship

This is a one-year academic studentship, specifically designed to support an individual whilst undertaking and completing a MA or MPhil in the area of British art or architectural history or British visual culture understood more broadly, from the medieval period to the present day and across the spectrum of relevant geographical and cultural contexts.

A single payment of £32,000 will be allocated to the successful applicant, in the September of the year they are undertaking their MA or MPhil programme.

The Centre’s Public Study Room will be open to the recipient to use as a working environment if required. The successful recipient will also be invited to attend the PMC’s academic events programme, and to participate in the Centre’s life more generally. Longer term, they will form part of a network of awardees who, both during and after their period of funding, will be affiliated with the PMC and who will be encouraged to use the Centre as a base to meet and exchange ideas.

To apply for a PMC MA/MPhil Studentship, applicants must:

• Either: have applied for or be in receipt of an offer of a place on an MA/MSc programme that enables a sustained focus on British art topics.
• Or: have applied for or be in receipt of an offer of an MPhil place, to work on a British art topic.
• Expect to begin their MA/MPhil studies on or around 1 October of the year in which they are granted the award (deferrals are not permitted).
• Be based in the UK (and thus qualify for home student status).

The choice of organisation in which to take the MA/MPhil is open. However, for MA programmes we would require that the programme clearly connects to the PMC’s mission. We do not offer grants and fellowships in field archaeology, the current practice of architecture or the performing arts. Applications in the fields of photography, performance, film and digital media will need to demonstrate their relevance to British art studies.

Candidates’ research interests in British art, and the expertise available at the nominated organisation, need to be detailed in the application form.

The successful applicant is expected to begin their Masters programme in October 2025. Fellowships cannot be deferred to later academic years, nor can they run concurrently with a fellowship awarded by another organisation.

For further questions on eligibility please contact the Grants & Fellowships Manager at [email protected].

Individuals who have already started their Masters programme are not eligible to apply.

The successful applicant is expected to begin their MA or MPhil programme in October 2025.

To apply for this studentship applicants must use our online system at grants.paul-mellon-centre.ac.uk. Once registered they will be able to fill out the online application form (an example of which can be downloaded below) and provide the details of two referees.

Once the application is submitted we will contact the nominated referees with details on how they submit their references. These must be completed through our online system and must be no more than 500 words.

The MA/MPhil Studentship is offered in our Spring round of funding.

If you have any access requirements or experience any issues using our online grants system (or accessing and filling out the application forms) then please do contact the Grants and Fellowships Manager who will be able to assist you.

Applications are now open and will close on 31 January 2025.

Successful applicants must submit a 1000-word final written report within two months of receiving their MA/MPhil.

The full terms and conditions of grant awards can be read here.

This studentship is normally expected to be a one-year award. However, should a student be enrolled in a full-time two-year masters programme, the Centre will be prepared to consider the possibility of funding them for the entirety of their course.

Should a student be intending to take a one-year masters course part-time over two years, the Centre will be prepared to consider the possibility of splitting the award over this longer period.